I've recently started to get stabbing pains on the outer left side of my chest (where the inside of my left arm touches the chest area). It is in the area where the heart is at. Its a quick stabbing pain that comes and goes. The pain last a few seconds and never longer than a minute. The initial pains is gone, but there is a small amount of pain that stays for a few minutes.

I did not feel any numbness following the pain.
My family does not have a history of heart problems.

I first noticed the pain while resting (laying down) after a strenuous work out of weights and running.
The next day it occurred during my work out when I was running. I avoided doing any strenuous, but again it occurred early the next morning while I was taking a deep breath. It was a quick stabbing pain again, but it quickly subsided.

I am doing deep breathing to see if it associated to it, but the pains has not come back.

I was doing a little research and I think it might be due to the following items:
angina
anxiety & stress disorder.

What are a few steps I can take to better self-diagnose the pain?
How would I proceed in talking to a doctor about the pain?
What should I expect from the doctor during diagnosis?

i know how you feel!! I also get stabbing pains in my chest, inside and under my left arm and also under my left rib. Sometimes it can be a shooting pains and others times a pinching achey pain. They are very scary!

I do suffer from anxiety and these pains are the from that ( although when they are happening its hard to belive) I have been to the doctors so many times thinking otherwise and they just tell me "im stressed" or "worrying"

sometimes I still think my pains could be caused by a trapped nerve or some muscular problem. Maybe this is the cause of yours? Have you seen a doctor about it? I

i would not try to diagnose yourself, because that never works unless youâre a doctor. I would simply make and appointment with your doctor and explain the pains where he or she will then set up (or should set up) possibly an ultra sound of your heart and or an ecg to rule out any heart issues. As for thinking may have experienced angina, I work in a health field and have witnessed many people have an angina attack, the pain is so bad that people are bent over from the pain and they cannot breath (not just feel that they can't), and if your pains were that bad you should be going to the hospital. If you are younger and work out you probably just pulled something because there are many muscles that run along our chest area, but again we are just here to give advice, most of us have gone to the doctors to rule out everything and it would only be fare to yourself and to be on the safe side to make an appointment asap to make sure you are ok.

I too get the chest pain. I discribe mine more as a heavyness and a pain that can be on the left and sometimes in my back or at the top of my chest area (just under my collar bone) and when I massage it I can feel the tense muscles. Today it is under my ribcase on the right!!! Weird. What is also weird is that when it is on the right I get on with it but when it is on the left I worry about it being my heart.

I have gotten this sharp pain in the heart area and my upper left back. This is the 3rd day I've had it. I can't think of anything different I've been doing though I did start exercising again using 2 lb. weights. I am female, 62 years old, non-smoker, non-drinker. Does anyone know what this could be?

Darcy if in doubt please see the doctor or go to the ER..It could be trapped gas, It could be gallstone, liver problems, you could have pulled a muscle restarting exercise..When I had my gallstone attack it hurt so bad i thought i was having a heart attack..My abdomen hurt my back hurt my chest hurt..I took bayer aspirin and went to the er where the admittedly admitted me and put me on 24 hours or antibiotics and then surgeyr..As women we put off going because we think heart attack is more a mans disease but it isn't..be safe..kd

hi
I am a 39yr old femail ,I have been getting a severe constant pain like a stabbing pain in my chest.It hurts most when I breathe or move.It has now shifted to my back and is very uncomfortable.I when to my GP I felt like he treated me like I was some crackpot.I have been researching a disease in females which is fibromyalgia.It seems to have the exact same symptoms.

The Gp's are the crackpots if that is their attitude, is the pain in the centre of your chest(eg sternum) or sides, maybe you could try some B complex Vitamins, if you are having stress look for the ones with calcium & magnesium in there ingredients, aslo stay away from soda drinks as they deplete magnesium as does caffiene.
B vitamins are necessary for proper nerve function, & the calcium & magnesium helps keep our muscles in a relaxed state.

Just a quick thought you might want to look into, I've had similar chest pains for as long as I can remember, though in me the pain has been slightly closer to the centre of my chest. After doing much research and speaking to some of my friends (Medically Trained), they told me to take a look at the symptoms of Precordial Catch Syndrome. Which covered everything I'd described.

The chances are if it were something serious, you'd know about it, it would be more than just pain, it would be PAIN. I wouldn't worry too much. But do check out Precordial Catch Syndrome (PCS), it really set my mind at ease.

I have recently had recurring pains in the left side of my chest, a heavy weekend drinking and taking recreational drugs triggered it off. The monday after it was so bad I went to emergency where they took bloods, an ECG and X-ray of my heart and Kidneys. The doctors concluded that I was fine and these things happen when one abuses their body like I did.

It feels like a consticting pain over my heart and sudden sharp pains that come and go randomly. I have been taking it easy since then only having a couple of beers at the weekend, but the pain is still here and I am really worried about it.

Just wondering if anyone has had a similar experience and how they are getting on. I'm suprised the pain hasn't gone away after a month and I'm starting to feel like the pain will never go.

I to had a weekend of drugs and then smoking weed one night triggered the sharp pain in my sternum and left of chest, thinking it was a panic attack I went to sleep. I haven't done any drugs since then and I still get the pain. I am now on the 1 month mark, with the exception of maybe 4 painless days.

Any chance you ever figured out what it was or a way to make it better?

I'm also having this sharp stabbing pain in the left of my chest. It's totally random and lasts just a few minutes. I've been to the ER, they concluded that it was anxiety, as there was nothing wrong with my heart. I'm still seeking my PCP's help, and looking into getting a full cardio work up, I have a hard time believing that it's anxiety, hurting me in the exact same place every time. I'll post again after my appointments. Though I have noticed when I drink alot of soda it seems worse.

i have that exact same pain that you guys are describing. it is ussually under my left breast and sometimes above it. i sometimes have it in my back and ive had it for about 4 days but my dad thinks its nothing serious so he dosnt want to take me to the doctor. what could this be?

I have the exact pain. A stabbing in my left breast usually. I get it frequently, tonight I feel it in my left shoulder blade too. I'm a law student (stress city) but I also ALWAYS carry 2 huge casebooks in my left hand. I'm also crazy paranoid so of course I worry it's my heart BUT like I said, I'm a student so seeing a cardiologist just isn't an option.

Last June my family and I moved 3.5 hours away from all of our family and friends. I'm currently a stay at home mom and I've noticed since we moved that my anxiety has gotten much worse. My MIL and I don't have the best relationship and she has triggered my episodes of anxiety and stress in the past. I went to my doctor and he tried putting me on medication and told me to go to a psychologist. I didn't like the way my body felt on the meds so I stopped taking them after three days... talking to a psychologist is definitely helping. I'm learning how to deal with my anxiety which is awesome.. here's my question.. I used to deal with a pounding/racing heart when getting anxious.. I had an EKG done and it came back saying I had an extra beat at times but the Dr said it was just from anxiety and once I got that under control it would go away. I haven't felt the extra beat for about a month and a half now.. Just recently I started getting this dull achy pain under my left breast... like on the edge of my rib cage.. do you know what this is from? Anxiety? Poor posture? It comes and goes but it scares me whenever I feel it coming on.. sometimes it lasts a few seconds.. and other times it has lasted for a day or two (which makes me stressed because I think there is something more going on.. I swear, I think I'm a hypochondriac!) I go for a follow up visit to my Dr in a few weeks.. but until then.. have any of you felt like this or had it checked out? Thank you!

I am also a stay at home mom (of a 3 1/2 yr old and 15 month old) and I also started getting the same achy left breast pains- which started off very mildly around the time my 1st child was 9 months old or so. I rarely had this pain during my 2nd pregnancy, but it seems to have come back even worse after I stopped breastfeeding my 2nd child when he turned 12 months. I've been trying to keep track of when I get this uncomfortable achy left breast pain, and it definitely happens at least once a month, lasting days at a time. I'm not sure what it's from either but I am starting to think it may worsen from anxiety or stress since I have been very stressed lately. I've had EKG's in the past, 2 or 3, and each time they have come back normal. It definitely scares me too when it comes on, and thinking about it makes it worse!

I get sharp pains under my left arm. I have often been told that the 'rule of thumb' regarding pains and one's heart is heart pains are consistently painful, while non-cardiac related pains are jabbing or short-lasting! I am not a professional, of course, but it seems to relax me after i read the information.

I've had this condition for 40 years without incident except that recently one lasted about 10 hours. That got me looking and I found this at babyboomercaretaker.com:

Sudden Sharp Stabbing Chest Pain
Pericardial catch syndrome (PCS), also known as Texidors twinge, is the most common cause of sudden sharp stabbing chest pain in adults and children. The stabbing pain is predominantly felt just under the left nipple near, where your heart is located. The pain worsens when a person inhales or exhales.

Many individuals mistakenly believe that they are having a cardiac attack at the onset of this type of pain. Even though the pain is acute and typically felt in the area where the heart is situated, it is certainly not a cardiac attack, nor is it related to cardiovascular disease. Pain due to PCS is restricted to a particular location and does not move to other parts of the body like heart attack pain typically does. Sharp inhaling and exhaling often intensifies the pain. Typically this causes the patient to become immobilized or restrict its activities until the episode passes away. Episodes typically last for half a minute to three minutes.

The frequency of PCS attacks varies from person to person. Intensity of pain also varies from dull annoying pain to intense pain causing short duration loss of sight or foggy sight. Although the process of inhalation and exhalation during PCS attack intensifies the pain, many have found that deep strong breathe or sudden movement completely stops PCS attack.

While doctors are not sure of the causes of pain associated with PCS attack, some researchers believe that pain is a result of pinched nerve some wherein chest area. At present there is no cure for PCS attack. Most doctors believe PCS attack is a benign condition and it posses no danger to patients life. Therefore, PCS is not seen as problem. Perhaps the worst part about PCS is the apprehension that this chest pain is an indicator of heart attack or angina pectoris, or other grievous condition.

hi, i get a stabbing pain in left side of chest as if its under my breast bone. i get breathless, and one time my neck cramped up. have,nt been to doctor yet, my father had angina and died of a heartattack, my sister also has had 2 heartattacks.

Hello, I also get stabbing pains in my heart area, it comes and goes last for seconds at a time. Its not in my under arm area but I get a numbness in my arm. I left work and went to er had a ekg it was all good they said your young go on your merry way. Im 32 not very young I think I qualify for a heart attaches!!I thought it was all from energy pills and drinks but it seems other people have the same symptoms as myself never mentioning energy drinks! Maybe it is stress..god I hope so!!

this is happening to me too... annoying and uncomfortable pain in my chest/heart area and left side of my neck... it hurts so much to breathe so i just have to take short shallow breaths. i'm 21 years old and adopted so i have no idea about family medical history. it's been happening at least all through high school but whenever i complain about it, people accuse me of being a hypochondriac! it usually lasts for about 15-20 minutes then goes away.
what is wrong with us?? is it serious or am i just a hypochondriac?

I had a heart check a few weeks ago when I was told that everything was OK - but a week afterwards I had what I now believe was an allergic reaction to the (low allergy) paint we were using on the walls and I had arrhythmia (irregular heart beat) for 24 hours. I didn't want to go to hospital so I used magnesium and then calcium tablets and this calmed it down. Yesterday I got the stabbing feeling on the left of my breast while I was out eating at a restaurant and I again used magnesium tablets, which I now carry in my bag, and the pain subsided - but not the fear! I think it's caused by allergies, any food which has fat in in e.g. cheese, oil etc and also from stress. I have found that these trigger my problems.
Many people lack magnesium, so taking a tablet once every day or so is probably a beneficial thing anyway. I'm going to take it from now on. Just note that too much magnesium can make you tired and/or give you constipation, so don't overdo the dose.

I've been having the same symptoms, chest pain / irregular heart beat lately and I just realised it must of began 3 or 4 days at the most after my parents started painting the walls, they are still painting and its been slowly getting more severe. Thank you.

I am a 31 year old, slightly over weight female. A non smoker & non drinker. I get 2 types of chest pains. One that feels like I am being stabbed, the other like someone is squeezing my heart or lungs. Sometimes these are quite mild, sometimes absolute agony. They can last from a few mins to over an hour. Exercise (I try to go running a couple of times a week as I am trying to lose weight) makes them worse at first then they improve after a week or so. Sometimes I get the pain while exercising, sometimes while completly chilled out watching tv. They occur in different parts of the chest, at any time of day.

My doctor has simply said - oh well, as it moves around the chest it can't be your heart. And told me to go away, as it was nothing serious - he hoped!. I try and convince myself it is just stress, but I am often not feeling stressed when the pain occurs!

Does anyone think I should kick up a fuss to get an ECG etc. or should I just keep up the exercise and try to relax?